From Becoming Agitated by Lust to Becoming Agitated by Ecstasy
The mind is naturally restless and flickering. In the material world, this restlessness manifests as agitation due to sense objects. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the most powerful source of this agitation is the attraction between man and woman. However, the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not meant to kill the active nature of the soul. Rather, it is meant to purify it. This article traces the journey from the dangerous agitation of material lust to the sublime, transcendental agitation of spiritual ecstasy.
Inevitability of Material Agitation
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the senses are formidable enemies. Even a learned person or a great yogi can fall victim to the agitation of the mind if they are not careful. The attraction to the opposite sex is so deeply rooted that simply seeing a form—or even a statue—can disturb one's consciousness. This susceptibility is why the Vedic culture prescribes strict rules regarding the association between men and women, even within families, to prevent the mind from becoming polluted.
- Even though a woman be made of wood or stone, she becomes attractive when decorated. One becomes sexually agitated even by touching the form. Therefore one should not trust his mind, which is so fickle.
- Woman's name is pramada, pramada because as soon as one woman comes before a man, he becomes agitated. Therefore woman's name is pramada. Pramada. Pramada means agitates. Kamini. Agitates.
- Even Lord Siva became agitated upon seeing the Mohini form of Lord Krsna, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature stage of yogic perfection.
Test of a Dhīra
If agitation is natural, what is the solution? Śrīla Prabhupāda introduces the concept of the dhīra, or sober person. A dhīra is not someone who is blind or dead to stimuli; rather, they are someone who feels the agitation but refuses to act on it. By following regulative principles and keeping the mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa, one learns to tolerate the urges of the senses without being swept away by them.
- A young boy sees another young man or a young man sees another young girl. Natural sex appetite, natural. But one who can control that, that is dhirah. That is dhirah. Dhiras tatra na muhyati. That is yoga practice.
- To become agitated is not very unusual thing, but to control it, that is the real thing.
Perfection: Spiritual Agitation
The ultimate goal is not a flatline of emotion but an explosion of spiritual feeling. When a devotee advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they experience a different kind of agitation—the agitation of love. The gopīs of Vṛndāvana, for instance, become agitated by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, a devotee chanting the holy name may become so overwhelmed by ecstasy that they laugh, cry, and dance uncontrollably. This agitation is not a disturbance to be avoided but the perfection of the soul's emotional potential.
- When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated, loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated, chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.
- One who becomes affected by the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord manifests various symptoms of ecstasy, such as slackening of the heart, laughing, crying, shivering, and dancing. These symptoms are not material.
- In other words, the gopis become very much agitated by lusty desire; they are burning due to the poisonous bite inflicted by the black snakes of Krsna’s beautiful arms.
Conclusion
Thus, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the art of transformation. We move from being agitated by the temporary, flickering pleasure of sex life to being agitated by the eternal, ever-expanding bliss of serving Kṛṣṇa. By taking shelter of the Holy Name, the dangerous waves of material lust subside, and the ocean of transcendental love begins to swell.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Becoming Agitated. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.